As the blindfolded pair exited the building, the surveillance team remained motionless.
Ain calm voice came through the Den Den Mushi, measured and composed.
"All units, maintain positions. Binz will locate their hideout. Until Jake and Monet give the signal, nobody makes a move."
Observing the dormant white Den Den Mushi beside her, Ain exhaled softly.
The white Den Den Mushi specialized in preventing eavesdropping.
Its silence confirmed the absence of black Den Den Mushis on the enemy's side.
Had they possessed the black variants, Jake's contingency plan for signal scrambling would've been necessary.
Watching Jake being escorted away by the two man in black, Ain couldn't help but muse inwardly.
How does his mind even work?
To devise so many plans in under a day... Thank god he's with the Marines.
Otherwise, we'd have another self-proclaimed Emperor ruling the seas.
On the other side, Jake and Monet were blindfolded and placed in a carriage.
Oli's voice sounded in their ears, tinged with apology.
"I sincerely apologize for treating you both this way, but our boss has a rather special status. Please don't take it to heart."
"No problem. Just make sure the carriage isn't too bumpy—it'll make me nauseous."
"Rest assured, it won't be."
Guided by the delicate fingers of a maid, Jake and Monet boarded the carriage.
The rhythmic clatter of hooves filled their ears as Jake extended his Observation Haki to its limits.
The black blindfold was utterly useless against it—he memorized every notable landmark around them.
Though Binz had been instructed to follow from behind, there were bound to be stretches where stealth would be impossible.
Jake had made it clear that Binz was not to force his way through such areas.
Sure enough, after about twenty minutes of travel, they switched vehicles, trading the carriage for a boat.
Once the boat ride ended, Oli removed the blindfolds from Jake and Monet and said.
"The path ahead is rough. I hope you don't mind walking the rest of the way."
Jake narrowed his eyes slightly, the sudden light causing discomfort.
Before them stretched a rugged mountain trail—difficult terrain indeed.
Behind them lay a branching river, its origins now impossible to trace.
But thanks to his constant use of Observation Haki, Jake had already mapped the entire route in his mind.
As for the winding forest path behind them, Binz had left ample markers using his Devil Fruit abilities.
From here, Jake and Monet would both memorize the way, minimizing the chance of error.
After a grueling twenty-minute climb along the uneven mountain path, they finally arrived at a somewhat dilapidated wooden cabin.
Oli pointed at the cabin and said to Jake, "That's where our boss is waiting. The organ donor has also been prepared. If possible, would you be able to perform the surgery now?"
As Oli spoke, a blindfolded man bound tightly with ropes was brought forward from nearby.
Jake glanced at him indifferently and replied, "Now is fine. Take me inside."
Oli nodded and led Jake and Monet into the cabin.
The moment the door opened, a thick medicinal odor assaulted their senses.
Even behind his mask, Jake couldn't help but frown.
Monet didn't say anything, but her deeply furrowed brows betrayed her discomfort.
Even Oli pinched his nose and sighed, "Sorry. Our boss is severely injured and relies on these medicines to survive. The smell is... unusual. I hope you can bear with it."
"Leave. I need a quiet environment for the surgery."
Once Oli had exited, Jake turned his gaze to the gaunt, sickly man lying on the bed.
Feeling the man's feeble vitality, a strange expression flickered beneath his mask.
'The person on the sickbed is too weak to be the captain of the Black Hawk Pirates. This contradicts Oli's earlier statements outside the ward where he revealed those details. Clearly, this entire setup is still part of the Black Hawk Pirates' test for me.
However, people in the first half of the Grand Line don't seem very wary of Observation Haki—some things are said without any discretion at all.'
Thinking this, Jake had Monet prepare another dose of sedative-laced water and fed it to both the man on the bed and the bound man.
Then, he made a small incision near the bound man's kidney, leaving a few stitched-up wounds at random before using Healing Prayer to stop the bleeding, making it look like surgery had been performed.
As for the man on the sickbed, Jake simply used Healing Prayer to heal most of his injuries.
After spending some time inside, he slowly exited the room.
Seeing Oli waiting anxiously outside, Jake's voice remained indifferent.
"The treatment is done. Pay me the rest of the fee. If you need further treatment, my next price will be much higher—your repeated tests have left me displeased."
Hearing the faint impatience in his tone, Oli froze, about to respond when a shadowy figure emerged from a dark corner.
His face was pale, but he wore a faint smile.
"Please forgive our rudeness. As a pirate, most doctors I encounter want me dead. I'm Boars, currently with a 50 million berry bounty. If you'd wanted to turn my head in for the reward, you could've done so during the surgery. I had to be cautious."
"I have no interest in your head—only in human organs. I know what I've done and wouldn't be foolish enough to go to the Marines. That'd be no different from turning myself in. If you need treatment, hurry up."
A weary smile crossed Boars' face as he stepped closer, speaking softly.
"My kidney was damaged by poison in a fight. I desperately need a transplant, but the toxin has spread too far. Most doctors I've seen couldn't guarantee success. Can you do it?"
Listening to him, Jake knew it was time to spin his tale.
He lifted the man's shirt, eyeing his half-rotted torso before remarking flatly.
"You don't need a transplant. You need a different treatment. Those quacks couldn't figure it out, so they couldn't help you."
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